WEC International USA
Partners in Prayer
As PIP focused once again on the USA Sending Base a letter from our director, Louis Sutton, arrived just as we finished writing. The e-mail described a recent staff meeting in which a last-minute change of agenda was made―and God took over. The Holy Spirit came in revival and walked among the staff who were present. Revival isn’t for unbelievers but for God’s people who are honest before God, thirsting for His will to be worked out in their lives and willing to be forever changed by His touch. We (the editors) were present as revival fell at least three times in our Christian walk. We rejoice and praise God that He chose to visit the WEC staff.
USA Annual Conference
Conference will be held at Camp Hill, the USA Sending Base just outside Philadelphia, the week of September 12-17 with the theme “A Journey for God’s Glory Among All People.” This will be a week of reconnecting with others who are home on furlough, hearing what’s going on in other parts of the world, reconnecting with what’s happening at the sending base, meeting new staff who joined WEC and business as usual. The election of new sending base leaders makes this a significant conference year. Conference week is a wonderful opportunity to get to know John and Marie Murtha, nominees for sending base leaders. Members from Christ the King Moravian Church (NC) and Bay Presbyterian (from the Murtha’s church in OH) will lead worship, prepare meals and provide a child-care program. Besides morning worship, the team will lead an evening Thirst Time (thirsting after God through worship & prayer) and prepare everyone for communion on Friday. Devotional messages will be given by Henry Bell (WEC Canada Director), John Murtha, and Louis and Susan Sutton who will move to WEC’s International Office next May. Michael Forestieri, a professional Christian storyteller, will give two workshops for adults:
- Telling Compelling Personal Stories
- “Bibletelling” as a Church Planting tool
Michael will also do a special storytelling time with the children as part of their program. Pray for the Camp Hill staff as they prepare for the conference. Pray for safe travel for everyone traveling on the roads or flying to and from conference.
Candidate Department
Twice a year the four members of the CD team (Burt, Joni, Hope and Joy), along with the Camp Hill staff, do a tremendous job of mentoring and bonding with the missionary candidates who come to train for long-term service. Each Candidate Orientation has its own dynamics, challenges and joys that the CD team aptly adapts to with a whole-hearted commitment. The following candidates are in the Fall 2010 class. Remember them in prayer for the next fourteen weeks of training.
- Mike and Laurie: Mike has been on a leave of absence to marry Laurie and upgrade his medical license.
- D & H with their youngest daughter (in high school): would like to serve in Central Asia. They have two daughters in college.
- C: who would like to serve in East Asia.
- Andy and Christy with Emily and Erik: who would like to return to Albania
- Hyang Mi: plans to work in Senegal.
- L: would like to serve in North Africa
- Victor: hopes to serve in Spain
- I: from Korea, would like to serve in Southeast Asia
- J and C with their daughter: hope to serve in Southeast Asia
The English School helps those Asians and Latinos, who wish to join WEC, to raise their level of English comprehension to fully participate in the Candidate Orientation. Suely De Olivera from Brazil and Hye Kung Chung from Korea will be tutored in English by Linda Smith and Linda Fusco this fall.
Youth Paper
Hellen Kuleskey has now retired and settled in Canada with her sister. Eloise Patton asks for prayer for wisdom to discern how to rearrange her office to incorporate Hellen’s files and supplies as Eloise joins two positions into one. May she seize this opportunity to downsize and continue the Youth Paper's cutting-edge ministry for Africa. Pray for young people in Nigeria and Ghana who receive the bulk of the Youth Papers. The enemy still has strongholds which prevent souls from freedom to respond to the gospel.
Personal changes
Dan and Daisy Wood, along with their three youngest children, moved from the USA Sending Base to the state of Nebraska. They will take a sabbatical leave until 2011. Dan was the Camp Hill Maintenance Supervisor, and Daisy served in the WEC Latino Department. Pray for the family as they settle into their new home and for Adely, Ricky, and Anthony as they adjust to new schools and youth group. May the Woods new ministry in mobilization be a joy for each of them.
Steven and Andrea Land, along with their two young children joined home staff with Steve in the Maintenance Department and Andrea in the WEC Trek office. Both now-filled positions are answers to our prayers! Lift them up in prayer as they take on new jobs and learn to live within the Camp Hill community. Please pray for additional staff for the WEC Trek office as Andrea will need help to run the program well once the Byrum’s leave in October.
Ron and Tonda Byrum will finish their commitment to the WEC Trek office and return to the family business in South Carolina. Ron and Tonda’s daughter, Bethany, will wed Rene Anderson on Sept 26. Pray for them as they will live in Brazil, Rene’s home country. Pray for Ron and Tonda as they pack up and resettle in the south and reconnect to WEC through the Rainbows of Hope (ministry to children in crisis) office in Fort Mills, SC.
Rona Lee, part of the WEC Trek team, married Peter Plowright July 17. Rona’s service with WEC ended late August. The couple moved to Canada to begin their married life. May the Lord richly bless their marriage.
Chris and Linda Munford, from the UK, arrived in the USA to become part of the mobilization team in the southeastern states. In late August they will travel from Camp Hill to Fort Mills, SC to stay at the Rainbows of Hope center to begin to look toward where the Lord would have them live and serve in representing WEC. Pray for housing, a car and open doors for Chris and Linda as they share world missions with students and churches.
Expansion 10 Update
The number of Camp Hill personnel and workers to be trained continues to expand while housing and office space doesn't! It's difficult to say “no” to potential candidates or furloughing families because of housing constraints. Currently the Expansion 10 Committee is working toward rezoning a portion of the Camp Hill property for new housing construction purposes while looking at possible off-site property to purchase. The committee is also searching for ways to share the needs of the Expansion 10 project. Presently there is close to $190,000 in the building fund. Continue to pray for wisdom for the committee and the Lord's provision. For more info on Expansion 10: wec-usa.org
“Operation World” Update
By the middle of August the proofreaders and typesetters have finished and handed the Operation World transcript over to the publishers. Pray for the publishers as they go to print and for the Operation World team as they take a much-needed rest. Some of the team members are moving on to new ministries. Jenny, Abe and baby Isaac are moving to Chicago. Abe will begin a doctoral program at Northwestern. Pray for Lisa Wyckoff, who continues to have health problems that now may be a time of physical healing.
Health needs
Dukrae & Misung Kim, a Korean family, has been mobilizers on the California west coast among the American-Korean churches. Misung returned to Seoul for medical treatment of either TB of her lymph nodes and/or an unknown bacteria infection possibly due to her previous corneal transplants. Pray for the right diagnosis and the best treatment. If this treatment works, Misung will need to stay in Seoul for one year with regular monitoring of her liver and eye. Dukrae has returned to the States to be with their daughters, Jennifer, who graduated from high school last June and will attend Pepperdine University in California this fall, and Janet, who is a high school student. Lift the whole family up in prayer.
Pray for the mother of sending base leader Susan Sutton. She is in a coma and in very poor health. Pray for strength for the family as well as Susan's mom.
Answer to our Prayers
Hye Sun Cho, who we have prayed for since her brain aneurysm last April, was released from the hospital the beginning of August. The Chos are staying in the home of Chulhee Choi, the Korean SB leader. Hye Sun has made weekly visits to the hospital during the month of August and hopes to return to the USA in September to stay, initially, with their son in California, Matthew. Pray Hye Sun will continue to heal and strength for Chong Wha so they may return to the USA.
Gateway Training Center (British Columbia, Canada)
Several staff changes for prayer. Pray for the two families that have left Gateway and moved on to new ministries, the Gibson family and the Cripps family. Pray for the Lombards and the Lotts who have left or can only work part –time because of family health care. Ike Agawin, the Director, will be starting doctoral studies so will be a little less involved in September. Trudy, his wife, will continue to help out at Gateway. NEW staff is as follows: Margie Knapp will be working in the office. Ita Friesen arrived from Brazil to join her husband Zeke she will be doing child care for Gateway. Dave and Delight Knapp have moved into the maintenance dept. and English classroom respectively. Gilmare Neves has arrived from Brazil to teach full-time. Gateway still needs one more couple to help cover the rest of the work. Please pray for everyone to have smooth adjustments in the close community life at Gateway.
Praises
Virginia McConnell from the USA sending base serving in New Zealand had hip surgery and she is extremely happy with the results. The Mc Connell’s will be involved in mentoring two of the fall candidates in New Zealand along with Howard working in the finance office and Virginia the campus host. Continue to remember them in prayer.
Richard Wilson’s residency has been granted he is now a legal – green card carrying alien living in Washington State with his wife Laura. They are part of the mobilizing team serving on the West Coast. Pray for them as they share missions at colleges and Universities
In WEC we use the word “Mobilizer,” a term we coined to identify WECers who a drive to mobilize/jump start churches, individuals or prayer groups toward thinking about missions or world evangelism. Mobilizer is a loose category that we fit many of our workers into. They speak at churches, lead seminars and educate the church body on missions. They represent WEC at colleges, universities, and intervarsity-type groups to educate about missions and offer opportunities to serve in missions as God calls. They have up-to-date information on the prayer needs throughout the WEC world of missionaries and share the prayer requests of WEC fields, individuals or people groups. Urging people to be involved is what we call “mobilizing” them to make a difference for God’s kingdom.
The WEC PIP Team
Ed and Doreen Dulka
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